Tag Archives: 232

Will the new US/China trade war truce lead to a trade deal?

June 30, 2019 By in China, Section 232, Section 301, trade agreement, trade war, Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , , , , 1 Comment
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Two big newsworthy events happened over the weekend at the G20 summit. First, Trump said US companies could supply to Huawei (waiting for official guidance at the moment) and second, the US and China agreed to not enact any further tariffs (current proposed Section 301 List 4 duties) in the near future and to start a new round on trade talks.

This may sound like Groundhog Day, and it partially is. Last year at the Argentina G20 summit, Trump and Xi also reached a similar agreement. And the differences that prevented a deal to be reached in Argentina also exist today. Key issues such as intellectual property and China’s 2025 plan are two areas where the two countries still do not reach a consensus.

With an election looming a little over a year away, Trump may be waiting until after next November before moving forward with a final deal – in the meantime, Trump says the US is already benefiting from the tariffs as the US is “taking in a fortune”.

If you have any questions about any of the 232 or 301 duties and how they may impact your business. Contact experienced trade attorney David Hsu by phone/text at 832-896-6288 or by email at dh@gjatradelaw.com, attorney.dave@yahoo.com.

How you can protect your company in light of the new China tariffs.

July 28, 2018 By in China, China tariffs, Customs, Import Export Attorney, Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , Leave a comment
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Since “List 1” of the tariffs on Chinese goods became effective on July 6th, we’ve had many calls from importers, forwarders and brokers on the best practices moving forward. Here’s a quick summary of what any importer should do regarding their imports of Chinese goods –

  1. Apply for a company-specific exclusion from the tariffs. The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) has published procedures for doing so on their website. The current approved exclusions are from steel tariffs with more exclusions to follow as Lists 2 and 3 take effect likely later this year.
  2. Review your classifications of imported merchandise. There may be more appropriate HTSUS numbers that your merchandise can be entered under and not subject to duties.
  3. Companies can also use the rules of origin to see if imported merchandise can be from another country other than China. This could result from moving the manufacture location, or moving the location of the “substantial transformation” of those goods.
  4. Adjust the valuation of the merchandise. See if the imported goods are properly valued.
  5. If merchandise is imported to the US for export out of the US, be sure property TIB, IT, T&E bonds are filed.
  6. No one likes surprises – it is best for importers, compliance, supply chain, sales and accounting to notify company management of potential tariff changes and the economic impact these new tariffs will have on profit and costs.

If you have any questions or want to know how your company can protect itself from these new duties, contact experienced trade attorney David Hsu at 832.896.6288 or by email at attorney.dave@yahoo.com.